The Bargain
by Sweetlilbirdy
Summary: James makes a bargain with Lily. He'll leave her alone, and what does he want in return? Rated for cursing and innuendos later.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If you think I do then you're an idiot.

* * *

Lily Evans hated a lot of things. She hated snakes. She hated her History of Magic teacher. But most of all, she hated James Potter.

He was _always _asking her out.

She had tried every method of rejection in existence. She'd tried to be gentle. She'd tried to reason with him. She'd tried to get his friends to reason with him. She had been brutal, insulting him and embarrassing him. She even started slapping him every time he asked. But to no avail. Lately she had just started slapping him every time he opened his mouth, just to save time.

And when he wasn't asking her out, he was trying other ways to woo her. When she was around he would always do all sorts of supposedly "sexy" things. He would ruffle his hair in that annoying way, shoot her sultry looks, and stare openly. Sometimes he would even whistle or catcall as she walked by.

But, unfortunately for her, the only effect any of these things had was to annoy the hell out of her. And one day it got to be too much.

* * *

Normally she tried to avoid him, but that day it just wasn't possible. He just happened to be loitering in the particular hallway she needed to be on the other end of.

"Damn," she muttered. She kept her head down to disguise her identity and tried to walk quickly.

But when your head looks like it's on fire, it's pretty damn hard to hide your identity.

"Hey, Evans, will you…"

Something in her suddenly popped, and she rounded on him. "_Lily_!" she hissed.

"What?"

"My name is _Lily_! And NO, I will NOT go out with you. Why can't you just get that through your thick skull and leave me ALONE!" Near tears by now, Lily stormed away.

Now, James Potter was not stupid. In fact, he was very smart. He could see that Lily wanted him to stop very much. He also knew that when people want things from you, it can be used to your advantage. Maybe he couldn't go out with her, but he might be able to get something else he wanted from her.

So, he ran after her.

"Ev- Lily! Hey, Lily!

"What!"

"Lily, what if I told you that I would stop asking you out, stop talking to you, stop everything, I'll even leave old Snivelus alone, if you would just give me one thing?"

Lily rolled her eyes. She had defended Severus Snape one time and now James was under the false impression that she cared about him. She knew she should leave now, but part of her was just too curious. He probably wanted her to sleep with him or something outrageous like that, but she still wanted to know.

"And what would that thing be?"

James knew better than to say it out loud, so instead he whispered it into her ear.

"A WHAT!" Lily sputtered.

"Please Lily. It wouldn't be that bad. Just a short one, I promise, and it won't go any further than that. And after that I'll leave you alone forever. I swear."

"So you won't ask me out anymore, but instead you want me to _kiss _you? That's the most moronic thing I've ever heard." But as she was walking away, James called after her.

"Just think about it, Lily, please," he said, so softly she could barely hear it.

* * *

And she did think about it. She told herself she wouldn't, of course, but she still did. She also suspected that James was being extra annoying to try and convince her. She had a sneaking suspicion he was following her, and he was even louder and more obnoxious than usual.

And even worse, every time he said or did something annoying, there was a little voice in the back of her head telling her she could end it all right then and there.

But just the idea of _kissing _James Potter, it was just repulsive.

'Why?' asked that aggravatingly truthful voice in her head. 'He isn't that bad looking.'

_But he's just so… _ugh

'He wouldn't be so "ugh" if you would just do this one thing. It might not even be that bad. I'll bet he's a really good kisser.'

_No, no! Stop. I don't even want to think about that. Why am I even considering this?_

As if on cue, James walked by and gave her a loud wolf whistle.

'I rest my case,' the little voice said smugly.

_Fine! I'll do it! But I warn you; this is going against my better judgment._

'No, it's not. I am your better judgment."

_Shut up._

Lily walked determinedly up to James, afraid that if she wasted any more time she would lose her nerve. From the set look on her face, James was sure she was going to hurt him. He tensed, prepared to run away if need be. But all he heard was.

"I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sorry about this, but i had to make some changes to my plot, because what i was planning to use wasn't going to work.

* * *

James looked at her in utter shock. "What?"

"Listen, just tell me when and where, and as long as you hold up your end of the bargain, I'll hold up mine."

James stared at her, his face slowly filling with a childish glee. He jumped up into the air and whooped. His expression was so innocent and childlike that Lily almost smiled, but she caught herself just in time.

"But!" she interrupted, "if you don't hold up your end, I will find the most painful way possible to make sure you never have children."

James' obnoxious and self-absorbed air immediately returned. "But Lily dear, who knows what would happen to the future if you stopped such a wonderful person as me from having children. (a/n: I love dramatic irony) Besides, luv, you never know. You may come to realize that you've been head over heels in love with me all this time." Lily just glared at him.

* * *

The two agreed that the deed would take place in the dungeons on Saturday night. James had reluctantly agreed that no one but Lily's suite mates and the Marauders would know about the kiss, and the other boys endured Lily's threats of castration as a form of motivation to keep quiet. But there wasn't much Lily could do about her suite mates except to just trust them.

Naturally, they all went into catatonic shock when they heard. After they regained speech (about five minutes later) they all started talking at once.

"Wait, wait, WHAT!" stuttered Emmeline Vance, stepping over Hestia Jones, who was rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. "What happened to this 'I hate him' mindset? Where did that go?"

"I _do _hate him, Emma. That's why I'm doing this."

Hestia tried to stop laughing long enough to talk. "That… has to be… the most… absurd thing I've ever heard," she managed to spit out before she succumbed to laughter again. But Marlene McKinnon sat on her bed, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know. I think it's unlikely that it'll just be one kiss and that'll be the end forever. I don't trust James. I bet he has something else in mind," Marlene said.

"Don't worry. I've already made it clear that if the promise isn't kept, he will be very, _very_ sorry."

"But there are plenty of things you might have forgotten to mention," said Marlene. "It would be easy for Potter to think of one of them and use it to his advantage."

"In which case I'll hex him into oblivion," said Lily with an air of finality.

"How are you going to do it, Lily," said a wide-eyed Emmeline. "Without throwing up, I mean."

"You're just going to have to close your eyes and picture someone gorgeous."

"But who?" asked Hestia, who had recovered from her laughing fit. "Lily doesn't like anyone."

"There's a difference between thinking someone's gorgeous and liking them," said Marlene with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What about Amos Diggory? He's pretty cute."

Lily's suite-mates had jumped on the opportunity to find her a guy to think about to divert her from the horror of kissing James Potter. At the moment they were all in their suite, naming guys. By now Lily felt like they had named every boy in the school. Marlene had even suggested one of their younger teachers.

"Nope, he's taken," pointed out Lily.

"Oh, yeah… Well I have an idea."

"What?"

Hestia grinned evilly, like she was only saying what she was going to say to get a rise out of Lily. "What about Sirius Black?" Sirius was one of the most notorious players in the school, and Lily hated him almost as much as she hated James.

"WHAT!"

"Well, he's not bad looking, not taken, and I bet if he found out he would kill James for you so he could go out with you."

"Hestia, if I wanted to think about someone that idiotic and annoying, I would just think about Potter!"

"I'm just saying…" She smiled innocently.

Lily proceeded to beat her friend about the head with a pillow, and the war that ensued was more fun than Lily had the rest of the week put together.

* * *

Meanwhile, James was sitting in the common room, watching Sirius and Remus play chess, and being quiet for once. He was thinking.

He now had one chance to woo Lily before he could never see her again. He had to make it special, to show her how much she really meant to him. He had already planned to sneak into the dungeon after class on Friday to decorate a little bit. He had also found a spell to preserve the event in his memory perfectly until the end of time. Not that he thought he would need it, but just in case. But he needed something more.

But nothing came to him.

James sighed. There was no way he was going to get Lily, so he might as well enjoy this one moment of bliss before he had to let her go.

* * *

Again i apologize for making you think i had updated. 3 


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, thanks for all the great reviews. Anyway, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for, the _actual_ kiss!

* * *

Lily sat on her bed on Saturday evening, a half-hour before she was scheduled to meet James, feeling dismal.

"Come on Lily, you should probably be getting ready," said her friend Emma.

"Hey, maybe if she goes looking like a homeless person, James will be so disgusted he won't want to kiss her anymore," Marlene suggested.

"I doubt it. Besides, I feel sorry for the poor guy. He loves Lily and after tonight he'll never be able to talk to her again."

"Oh, come on, he's talked to her enough in the past six years to last him a life time."

"But still…"

While the two girls continued bickering, Hestia looked at Lily. When she noticed how miserable she looked, she decided to try and tactfully usher Marlene and Emma out. She had a feeling they were just making it worse.

Stepping in between the feuding friends, she said, "Hey, why don't you two come with me to the kitchens to get some snacks." She raised her eyebrows pointedly. The girls agreed, and so they left, Hestia shutting the door behind them.

Lily would be forever grateful to Hestia, although she loved her friends like sisters; they really weren't helping her feel any better at the moment.

Dragging herself out of bed, weary but resigned, she decided she was going to dress up after all. James was sacrificing a great deal for her, and she knew it. Therefore the honorable Gryffindor in her made her want to give James as much as possible, looking nice was the least she could do.

* * *

James sat in the designated dungeon, which he had specially prepared for the occasion. He fidgeted nervously and looked at his watch. Lily was due to arrive in ten minutes, so he quickly cast a special spell so that this event would be preserved perfectly, like a movie, only with smell and taste and touch. Hearing footsteps in the hall, he hurried to hide in the shadows by the door.

* * *

Lily walked in and almost gasped. The room was transformed. Gone were the usual desks and chairs, replaced by furniture much like the common room, in warm reds and purples, Lily's favorite colors. The room was dimly lit and comfortably warm. A light smell of vanilla hung in the air, another of Lily's favorites.

Lily was busy marveling in her surroundings, wondering how James could have known how to make everything fit her so perfectly, when James walked up behind her, pressing his chest against her back and putting his hands lightly on her upper arms. Lily sucked in sharply and gave an almost unnoticeable shiver.

She was puzzled momentarily by the reaction she gave, but put it out of her mind, convincing herself that he had merely startled her. She turned around to face him, and was once again startled. James had shed his usual uniform for a polo shirt and neat jeans. His hair, instead of being messy, was neatly combed, and instead of his usual smirk he was wearing a shy grin. Altogether, he looked almost handsome…

Lily mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking? James Potter was not handsome. In fact, he was not even remotely cute. The incense in the air must have been getting to her senses.

* * *

James stared at Lily. He knew that no matter what she did she would be beautiful, but he hadn't expected her to try and look nice. In fact, he had almost expected the opposite. But she looked so good. Her hair looked softer, silkier, and more irresistible than ever, falling in waves of fire around her round face. She wore a dark green shirt that perfectly set off her red hair and emerald eyes. It had a low neckline that showed off her…

James stopped and mentally slapped himself. This was his one shot at Lily and he wasn't going to ruin it by seeming like a perverted little boy.

Lily still hadn't seen him, she was to busy staring at her surroundings with her back to him. Seeing an opportunity, he walked up behind her and touched her arms. He could smell her hair, it was intoxicating. He could just barely stop himself from burying his face in her hair and kissing her neck.

* * *

Lily took a couple steps back and looked at James, waiting for him to say something. He just stared at her. Attempting to break the awkward silence, Lily cleared her throat.

"This kiss isn't going to last forever, okay?"

"But it can't just be a little peck."

"And no tongues."

"Aw," James pouted. Lily rolled her eyes. The two were both silent for a few seconds.

"So… shall we… get on with it?" asked Lily.

James nodded. As he approached Lily realized with dismay that she hadn't decided on anyone to imagine kissing instead of James. She sighed.

'Oh, well. I'll just try not to think about it.'

James reached out and put one arm around her waist, pulling her very close to himself. Lily could feel his heart racing with anticipation. She also noticed that in this position the only way to be comfortable would be to put her hands on his shoulders. She sighed.

"Is it really necessary to be in this position?"

"Of course," said James as he wrapped his free hand around he neck. Lily felt that this whole scenario could be compared to a vampire getting ready to bite his victim. That was certainly how Lily felt. As he leaned down, Lily closed her eyes and braced for the worst.

At first it was so light Lily barely noticed it. Then James applied more pressure, causing all thoughts to fly from Lily's mind. Looking back later, she reckoned that even if she had thought about a different guy, she wouldn't have been able to keep the thought of him in her mind for more than a few seconds. All she could feel was the warm sweetness coming from his lips and spreading throughout her entire body. It was amazing. And she wanted more.

Her reflexes took over as she clutched his back, pulling herself closer to him, and she did something she had sworn to herself she wouldn't do.

She kissed him back. James was shocked, but responded with fervor, amazed at her sudden change of heart. He was in heaven. The girl of his dreams was kissing him, and by all appearances enjoying it. Then he made a mistake. A mistake that would haunt him for years, that he would spend countless hours at night torturing himself over. In all his excitement, James mistakenly thought that Lily would now be a completely different person; that somehow she had taken back all the rules she set down just by returning the kiss.

He never stopped kissing her, but meanwhile he slowly slid down the hand on her waist to touch her butt.

* * *

Lily was in heaven. The kiss felt _so_ good, it almost covered up that little voice reminding her that this was James Potter, whom she hated, whom had tortured her for the past six years of her life. She could almost forgive him for all that. He was _such_ a good kisser.Lily told herself that maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe he was more grown up than she had thought. And then she felt it. His hand on her butt.

She ripped away from him. James immediately looked upset and remorseful. "I'm sorry, Lily! I just got so caught up in the moment…"

Lily paused, but she was surprised to find that she wasn't upset or angry. It was like someone slapping you across the face during a panic attack, it had brought her back to her senses. The only real anger she felt was toward herself, just for needing it. Realizing that James was still apologizing, she gave him a look that told him it was alright. Then she walked up to him, putting a hand on his cheek and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Goodbye, James," was all she said. Then she turned and prepared to leave.

"So that's it, then?" cried James. "You're just going to walk off and never talk to me again?"

"That was the general plan…"

"Lily! How can you be so cold! You can't pretend like you didn't feel anything just then! You were kissing me harder than I was kissing you!"

Lily looked him over coolly, no emotion in her eyes. "I'm sorry if I made you think that, James. I was just caught up in the moment." She turned and flounced away, leaving James in his dismay and misery.

* * *

Poor James! how could Lily be so terrible! anyway, it's not over yet! the more you review, the quicker I'll get chapter 4 up!


	4. Chapter 4

He held her, kissing her slowly, softly, smoothly. A hand slowly traveled down to grasp her butt, making her moan into his mouth. Taking that as a sign, he reached up again, both hands moving under her shirt. She moaned again and set to work on his shirt, pulling it up over his head. A few minutes later both were wearing next to nothing. They kissed passionately again, hands roaming. His moved up to the middle of her back, and then slowly around to touch her…

_** CRASH**_

"OW!" yelled Lily.

"Huh!" cried a half-awake Hestia.

"I fell out of bed…"

Hestia sniggered and rolled over, immediately going back to sleep. Lily tried vainly to follow suit. Instead her thoughts wandered to the dream she had been having just moments before. The dream that had been so rudely interrupted.

_ Wait, _rudely_? Did I really _want _to be having that dream? _

'Well you certainly seemed to be enjoying it at the time'

Shut up. I can't control my dreams. Those are just my crazy teenage hormones. 

'Sure…'

* * *

Lily sat alone, eating breakfast and thinking, when her three suitemates sat down around her, startling her out of her pensive state.

"Careful you don't fall over, Lily."

"Shut up."

"What?" asked a confused Emma. Unlike Hestia, Emma had slept through Lily's rude awakening.

Hestia's eyes glittered. "Last night Lily fell out of bed. Screamed too. I'm surprised you didn't wake up."

Lily glared. "I did not scream."

Seeing Lily's look, Hestia gave her a gentle poke in the ribs.

"Hey, cheer up. Today's the first day of the rest of your life. From now on, James Potter doesn't exist."

Lily grinned. She knew there was something she was supposed to be happy about today. She glanced down the table to where James was sitting, and true to his word, he was nowhere near her. Nor was he paying her any attention. Lily was surprised. He seemed to be taking it very well. She had half expected him to have a mental breakdown or something. But he was perfectly fine.

Sure…

* * *

As calm as James appeared, he was actually inches away from tearing his hair out. Here was Sirius, talking to him like it was just a normal day. Wasn't it obvious what distress he was in? While he had refused to tell any of them what had happened, surely they knew that it couldn't have possibly been good. And yet, here they were, talking about… What were they talking about? He hadn't been listening. He vaguely picked up something about Snape and the Giant Squid. The nerve.

"Wouldn't that be great?" was suddenly interject into his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Haven't you been listening, Prongs?"

"No. I've got to got to class."

His friends exchanged glances. Finally Remus said, "It's Sunday, Prongs. We don't have class today."

"Oh. Well I've got to go to the library to finish that essay." James ran off.

Peter looked worried. "We have an essay?"

"No. I think whatever happened with Lily last night must have really shook him up. We might want to go check on him."

"Nah. James is a big boy. And I'm enjoying these pancakes."

* * *

_A few days later_

The past few days had been the best Lily had had in a long time. She had seen neither hide nor hair of James since breakfast on Sunday, and she was loving it. She was perfectly willing to continue her life as it was, leaving James to waste away, alone. And she probably would have, had it not been for Professor Dumbledore.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore had recently been appointed Headmaster from his previous position of Transfiguration Teacher. Since he had yet to find a suitable teacher to take his place, he filled both positions temporarily. This meant that he saw all the students on a regular basis, and was very aware of their lives and personalities. And on Wednesday, in his 6th year Gryffindor class, he noticed a very strange happening, something that caused him to call a student into his office.

* * *

Lily stood outside the statue of a great eagle, fidgeting nervously. The last person who got called into Professor Dumbledore's office had come out sobbing. His parents had been murdered by Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore rarely called people in without good reason.

Lily's anxious thoughts were broken as the eagle began to turn, forming a spiraling staircase, which Lily climbed quickly. She got to the top and knocked nervously.

"Come in."

Lily entered and ran over to his desk.

"Is everything alright, sir? What's happened?"

"Calm down, Ms. Evans. Nothing serious, I assure you. Have a seat and I will explain."

Convinced that if the Professor said it was alright, it probably was, Lily took a seat and faced him.

"Now, it's actually not so much what has happened as what has not happened. Yesterday while you were in my class, I noticed something odd. Mr. Potter neither spoke to you nor looked at you for the whole class. Something that I assure you has never happened in all the years I have known the two of you. Now, I usually make it a point to stay out of the romance lives of teenagers. Much to complicated. I don't really know why you even bother." At that Lily smiled. She had felt that same way many times. "But here, my curiosity overtakes me. I honestly thought that what I saw yesterday was impossible. Precisely a week ago Mr. Potter couldn't be in the same room with you without showing his affection in a dozen different ways. So."

At this Dumbledore folded his fingers together and rested his chin on them. Lily realized that he was waiting for her to explain. So she did. At first Lily meant only to tell him the basic plan, about the same amount of information as her friends got. But eventually she found herself spilling to him exactly what had happened, and all the conflicting emotions she had been experiencing the past few days. She even told him about her dream that night, and completely comfortably as well. The Professor had that effect on people.

After she finished, he just sat there, looking thoughtful.

"And this was your idea?"

"No, sir. It was actually Potter's, believe it or not."

"And, as far as you know, he hasn't broken his word."

"Not a bit. Guess he didn't like me as much as he said."

"Oh, quite the contrary, Ms. Evans. I think this recent development is just proof of exactly how much he loves you."

"You think he loves me?"

"I have no doubt. And the evidence is this: he was willing to sacrifice his chances of achieving his greatest desire, that is, you, for your own happiness. He would prefer that you were happy, not that you were with him. That level of love is rare, even in married couples. You would do well not to waste it."

Lily would have argued with him, but his tone left no room for it. This conversation was over. So she left, mulling over this suggestion. It was one that had never occurred to her.

_ Is James Potter in love with me?_


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it's taken me so long. I had a serious writers block.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Trust me, you would know if I did. There would be a lot less death and doom and a lot more fluff and happy endings. And, of course, I would be broke.

* * *

Lily sat in Transfiguration the next day, mulling over her conversation with Professor Dumbledore. According to him, James Potter was in love with her. Very deeply in love. Lily trusted Dumbledore, and would usually take his word for almost everything, but this was just a little bit to far out there.

_Why? He certainly acts like it._

'Sometimes. Other times he just acts like the player he is.'

_You know, James hasn't gone out with anyone in over four years._

'Yeah, but he's still a player.'

_How do you figure?_

'Just the way he acts…'

_Like he's in love with you? _

'No, like a player.'

_Which he isn't. _pause _We could go on like this for a while._

Choosing to ignore this voice, Lily left the doldrums of her mind and returned to class just in time to hear Professor Dumbledore explaining a project they were to do. Involving partners.

"You will get together with your partner and research a topic of your choice, so long as it pertains in some way to transfiguration. I have already paired you, the list is here on my desk."

There was a mad rush as the students in the class ran to the front, fingers crossed that they would get a partner they liked. Lily walked up calmly, and watched as Sirius eyed the paper, gave the thumbs up to Lupin, and then looked directly at Lily and sniggered. He walked back over to James and whispered something in his ear. Lily turned to look at the parchment, just missing James' look of utter joy. Lily found her name quickly, and her heart immediately dropped. There it was.

**James Potter – Lily Evans**

Lily looked at Professor with an expression of both dismay and irritation.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he stated, but his eyes twinkled mischievously.

Lily returned to her seat with a depressed sigh. Immediately Sirius bounded over.

"Oh Lily, darling." Both she and James gave him a look that would have melted a glacier.

"Yes, Black?"

"James would like to know if he was permitted to talk to you. You having to do a project together and all…"

"No," was Lily's immediate reaction. Sirius gave her a questioning look. "Well, I suppose," she amended herself. "But he can only talk about things pertaining to this project. And only during our allotted work times. And…"

"Don't tell me," Smirked Sirius. "Tell him." He pointed at James, who was on his way over, looking ecstatic. Relieving some random Slytherin of his chair, he sat down next to her.

"So, I was thinking, we should do animaguses. They're really interesting, and I already know a lot about them." He winked at Sirius as though they were sharing an inside joke, and then turned back to her while Sirius walked back to be with Lupin.

Lily didn't notice, she was to busy staring at James. Being in such close vicinity with him had brought her mind back to the dreams she had been having about him so often lately. Just the thought of them sent a blush across her cheeks and down her neck. They weren't exactly decent…

James, who had mistaken her blush as anger, said, "Oh, I won't be that bad Lily. It'll be okay."

Lily was relieved at the chance to redirect her mind, and said, feigning anger, "You're right, it will be. Because you will not talk to me outside of things that directly relate to this project, understand? The deal still stands. Now, animaguses sounds good to me, so we will meet in the library tomorrow after class, is that alright?"

"Works for me."

"Good. You are not to talk to me until that happens, clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good." And without another word, Lily flounced out of the classroom.

Walking away, Lily realized something. _He called me Lily.

* * *

_

When Lily got to the Library the next day, James was already there waiting for her. He mutely handed her a book titled Tough Transfigurations, which Lily took gratefully, her hand brushing his as she did. Lily's mind was brought back to her dreams, which had been becoming increasingly more raunchy over the course of a few days.

_God, I'm not even going to be able to look at him without blushing._

As she took the book and opened it, he said, "I figure you can research the history, I'll work on the actual process."

"Sounds good."

* * *

James had a very good reason for picking animaguses as a topic. He did know a lot about, having become one himself in his fourth year. And with all this knowledge, it was easy to just pretend to take notes, while what he was really doing was staring at Lily. 

Absentmindedly scratching with his quill and flipping pages so she wouldn't look up, James set to work memorizing every detail of her face, her beautiful bow lips, her flawless skin. She had a scar on her left cheek which James made a mental note to ask about, until he realized sadly that he couldn't.

* * *

Lily looked up from her work and found James staring at her. She cocked her head to the side and he gave her a soft smile that reminded her powerfully of that night in the dungeons. Suddenly Dumbledore's words echoed loudly in her head, and, looking into his eyes as she was now, she could almost believe it. 

_He would prefer that you were happy, not that you were with him. That level of love is rare._

The look James was giving her caused her to shiver, and she resolved to find out as soon as possible whether it was true.

* * *

"Hey, Black! Black!" 

"Yes, Lily dearest?"

"Shut up and come here. I need to ask you something."

Sirius made his way over to a secluded niche, which Lily pulled him into. Black raised his eyebrows suggestively but said nothing.

"Okay. I don't really know how to lead up to this, so I'll just say it. Is Pot… James in love with me? Like, real love, not just stupid teenager love."

Sirius gave her a disbelieving look. "Yes, Lily, in fact he is. Would you like to ask me what color the sky is, next?"

Lily gave him a withering look. "It wasn't that obvious."

"Have you ever seen the way he looks at you?"

"Yeah."

"I rest my case."

* * *

_See, it was obvious._

'No, it wasn't. Shut up.'

_So, what are you going to do about it?_

'Do about it? Who said I had to do anything about it?'

­_Oh, come on. Don't you feel just a little bad now that you know he loves you?_

'Not at all.'

_Don't lie. I'm in your head, remember?_

'Well, maybe a little bit. But it doesn't matter. He had his shot at me, and he messed it up.'

_And? Wouldn't kill you to forgive someone for their mistakes. You need to do something and you know it. Plus, you know you've got a thing for him._

'I do not!'

_Yes, in fact you do. Remember how it was kissing him? And the dreams? Is there any other possible explanation for it?_

'Probably.'

_No, there's not. Just come out of denial and do something!_

'Fine, fine, I will. I just don't know what yet.'

* * *

Okay, so I can either end it next chapter, or go on a little bit more and include a date and such. What 'cha think? Review, please?!?! 


	6. Chapter 6

Yay! I'm finally updating!

* * *

'Oh, just tell him for crying out loud!'

_No! Then I'll look like a fool. No, what I need to do is to somehow make him ask me out again. Then I can find some excuse to say yes._

'He won't ask you. That's exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. He cares about you too much.'

_I can make him ask. Just watch._

'My god, you need to just admit you like him. Stop putting up this "I feel guilty because he likes me" front.'

_I _don't_ like him! I do just feel guilty. He's a lot nicer than he used to be._

'Denial.'

_Go AWAY! This is freaking me out. I'm having an argument with my own head._

'Yes, and you're losing, too.'

_Grr._

Lily got off her bed and started to get ready for her meeting with James. This is where the scheming began. She got into her closet and took out the same green shirt she had worn to her date-ish-thing with James earlier. But instead of wearing it with jeans, she took out a knee-length, cream skirt. She paired this get-up with a pair of high, strappy heels and a long necklace that dangled down and brought the eye directly to her bust. She brushed her hair and used her wand to smooth it and give it a slight curl at the ends. She applied a fresh bit of makeup and pranced out the door, hair bouncing and hips swinging.

* * *

When Lily got to the library, James was already there. She walked up behind him and bent over, letting her hair brush his ear as she greeted him and reached for a book on the table. Then she slowly sauntered around to the other side of the table, letting him get a good look at her. His eyes widened, but he said nothing. Lily frowned. She had really expected his resolve to fail the minute she walked in the door. She would just have to try harder.

* * *

It was forty-five minutes later, and still nothing. And Lily had tried her absolute hardest. But all her leaning over and "accidental" touches had amounted to exactly nothing. Oh, James had definitely noticed. But he hadn't so much as verbally acknowledged it, much less asked her out again. When her last resort, a hand brushing his upper thigh as she looked at his notes, failed, she finally cracked.

"Oh, just ASK me, already!"

James looked startled. "What?"

"I see the way you're looking at me. Just ask me out."

"Why on earth would I do that? Best-case scenario, you say no. Worst-case, you castrate me. Not a gamble I want to take."

"But I might say yes."

"No, you wouldn't. You've already established that. What's up with you, Lily?"

"I- I want you to ask me out."

"Why? So you can turn me down again?"

"No. So- So I can say yes."

"Why would you do that? Are you okay, Lily? Did you eat anything funny lately?"

His concern for her wrenched her heart. He still hadn't even said yes. He was too worried about her to be concerned about himself.

_God, he really does love me. Why didn't I see it before?_

He was still talking as she thought. "Have you eaten anything that came from Sirius Black lately? It would be just like him to give a potion to make you ask me out. Or maybe he confounded you…"

"No, James." On his first name, he stopped and looked at her. She took a deep breath and went on, "I really want to you to take me out. I was really cold to you the last time we, uh, saw each other. I'd like to give you a second chance."

James' eyes widened, and he gave her a hopeful look, like he really wanted to believe her but was afraid to.

"But how do I know this isn't just some crazy scheme to- to get back at me or something?"

"Well…" Lily edged around the table to stand in front of him. "You really can't," she said, raising an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off with a hot kiss that, while short, still left them both panting.

"I'll take your word for it," he said.

* * *

James had asked her for a few hours to figure something out. At dinner that night, he caught her and whispered in her ear, "Meet me at eight at the front door. We'll be outside, so you might want to wear something cool." Lily nodded and smiled. That was that. The only thing left was how she was going to get around her friends.

* * *

Lily made an effort to sneak out of her dorm that night without her suitemates noticing. But, naturally, the minute she stepped out of the bathroom, all dressed up, she was bombarded with questions.

"I'm going out," she said vaguely.

"With who?"

"It doesn't matter."

Her friends exchanged meaningful glances. "Not our dear James Potter, by any chance," asked Emma slyly.

"What? How'd you know? He hasn't been spreading it around that we're dating, has he?"

They all smiled. "Not that we've heard. But it was only a matter of time before you cracked, anyway. We were actually just discussing how to get you to come out of denial."

"Argh!" said Lily exasperatedly. "You guys are as bad as my head!" She stormed out, leaving her friends to give each other mystified looks.

* * *

When she showed up at the door, he looked happy and relieved, as though he had really expected her not to show up. He looked very nice in a dress shirt on with the sleeves rolled up, which made for the perfect balance of dressy and casual. He looked her up and down with a gaze that made her skin tingle and made her feel flattered and self-conscious all at the same time. She was dressed in her favorite dress, a flowing cotton tea-length one in shades of light and lighter blue mixed together.

"Shall we go, then," he said. They opened the door and stepped out. Lily was immediately glad for James' suggestion, because the May air was quite warm, and though in her light dress it was very comfortable, it probably wouldn't have been otherwise. They set off across the lawn, but instead of heading for the lake or Hogsmeade as she had expected, they turned to go to the Forbidden Forest.

"Should we be going in there?"

"Why not?"

"Well, it is forbidden."

"And? That only applies to younger kids who aren't good enough to take care of themselves. If anything happens," he gave he a sidelong grin, "I promise I'll protect you."

Lily drew herself up. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself," she said with mock indignance. She tried to glare at him, but ended up cracking up instead. He started giggling too, and soon they were both laughing so hard they could barely breathe. They slowly stopped and looked at each other for a few seconds. Then, without warning, without any verbal or physical communication, they both started laughing again, as hard as ever.

_Wow_, thought Lily, _I could spend the rest of my life with this guy..._ Whoa. _Where did that come from? Scary. _

"Here we are," announced James. They stood in a clearing in the middle of the forest, with a creek flowing on one side and oak trees surrounding the rest of the perimeter. James led her over to the largest one, to a place where its roots spread and made a kind of natural seat.

He conjured up a soft blanket, which he spread on the ground and allowed her to sit against the tree. He then sat next to her and, in one flick, conjured an entire three-course meal, complete with two place settings. She thought it was very impressive spell-work, and she told him so. He smiled humbly.

"Not really. I already had it all set up in the kitchen. I just had to move it here, and that's not to hard."

"It was still impressive."

He waved a hand and changed the subject. "So, I believe you owe me an explanation."

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

He ticked off on his fingers: "Why you asked me out, who or what made you change your mind, and why you felt the need to seduce me rather than just ask. Which, by the way, was very mean. Do you know how hard it is to be impassive when the love of your life is trying to seduce you?"

"Aw, poor baby," said Lily, giggling. "I'm sorry. Well, anyway, I changed my mind because I realized you loved me and weren't just trying to get me because I'm the only girl who ever turned you down."

"What?!" James looked genuinely alarmed. "You knew I loved you. Or at least, you should've, if you'd been listening to a word I said for the past five years."

"Well, yeah, but I didn't really believe you. I'm sorry. I didn't know you well enough to know you wouldn't do that."

"So who changed your mind?"

"Professor Dumbledore. It's a long story," she said in response to his raised eyebrow.

"Okay. Well you still haven't explained all the seduction."

"Oh, that." Lily blushed with embarrassment. "I guess my pride wouldn't let me come back to you begging for a second chance after having turned you down for so long. I wanted it to look like I was doing it for you."

"But in truth?"

"In truth, I think it's unlikely that any girl could stay away long after a kiss like that," she said honestly.

He looked like he couldn't help being a little smug. "I told you so, didn't I?"

"Probably." Though she tried, Lily found that she couldn't be angry with him for his little ego trip. Not only were they getting rarer and rarer these days, but he certainly deserved this one.

"So, if you enjoyed it that much, I guess you won't mind another?"

"Not in the least."

This one was just as soft and sweet and enjoyable as the first one, and Lily quickly surrendered to the sensations and let her mind go.

* * *

After they finished the meal, Lily looked at James expectantly. "Now what?"

He looked at his watch. "Well, we have about thirty minutes before it happens, so we can do whatever until then."

"Until what happens?"

He winked at her. "It's a surprise. Just wait and see. It'll be worth it."

Lily shrugged and reached down to take off her strappy high-heels. Then she stood. "Alright, but I'm not just going to sit here when there's a perfectly good clearing and stream I could be frolicking in." James gave a confused look, then laughed. "What?" asked Lily. "Having on a dress like this makes me feel all- whimsical." She walked over and waded into the stream.

After splashing around for a minute or two, she looked at James and smiled at him. "Come dance with me!" she asked.

James laughed. He had never seen this side of Lily before, and he rather liked it. She had always been all solid strength and anger toward him. It was nice to watch her be happy and childish. "But there's no music," he replied, but even so, he started to remove his shoes.

"Your point being?" she asked as she pulled him up.

He just smiled and kissed her softly, and then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close and holding her. This date was going even better than he had expected. And the night wasn't over yet.

* * *

For a long time, they just stood there, swaying gently and enjoying each other and the cool water flowing over their toes. After about twenty minutes, James checked his watch again.

"I hate to stop this, but we need to go sit down if you want to watch the show." Without waiting for a response, he bent down and picked her up. She giggled like a delighted child as he carried her back to the tree. He sat, still holding her, and she sat between his legs, leaning back onto his chest.

_My lord, what has happened to me? I've gone from hating his guts to giggling like a schoolgirl in a matter of days. No guy has ever made me feel like this before._

Lily came out of her reverie as James pointed to the far side of the clearing. There, in the trees, stood a beautiful, pure white unicorn, with a golden baby beside it, nuzzling. Lily gave a soft gasp. The mother and baby stood there for a moment while the mother checked for danger, and then walked out to drink from the stream and munch on a patch of clover growing nearby.

"More will be along later," whispered James. I think there's something about this clover patch, because there's always at least three here after the moon comes out."

"I've never been so close to one before," whispered Lily back.

"Oh, you think this is something? Watch." James pulled out two apples and handed one to Lily. Then he gave a whistle that reminded her of a piccolo. It was flowing and musical, and she felt an odd sense of calm wash over her. She realized that the whistle must have somehow been laced with magic so as not to startle the beautiful creatures.

The baby came over first. Lily thought that it must be more trusting since it was younger. He walked right up to Lily and stood, munching on the proffered apple while she ran her hands along his neck, reveling in the beauty.

Meanwhile, James fed the mother, stroking her and murmuring with an air of familiarity. "I've known this one since she was a colt. Met her in my third year, when I first came out here."

Lily looked at him, surprised. "You've been coming out here since third year?"

"Yeah. Me and the rest of the Marauders spend a lot of time out here, "frolicking", as you would call it.

Lily cocked her head at him. She had never before seen James like this, and she liked it. He was caring and sweet and sensitive, nothing like the egomaniacal boy she had always known. If this was the way he really was, maybe dating would not be that bad. She could even see herself marrying him one day, although she knew that was a leap at the moment.

* * *

James walked Lily all the way up to the foot of her stairs, and said goodnight.

"It was absolutely amazing, James."

"So you'd like to do it again?"

"And again and again and again."

James slowly grinned at her. She grinned back.

"Lily, would you like to be my girlfriend?" She smiled and leaned in.

"I should think that, after all this, that was obvious."

He beamed with pleasure and gave her one last passionate kiss before departing up to his own dormitory as she proceeded to her own.

* * *

Almost over! Just one more chapter! Review, please! 


	7. Epilogue

This is the last chapter! yay!

* * *

Epilogue: Five years later

Lily stood in front of her mirror, wearing, by request, the dark green shirt that had started it all, and contemplating what had changed since Hogwarts. She brushed her hair, which she had grown a little longer. She looked just the same, felt the same, did the same things, and had the same friends. That much had not changed, and she doubted that it ever would.

But her life was different. Without school, she was free to devote her life to a wider variety of interests. She, along with many of her classmates, had joined the Order of the Phoenix, and she devoted a lot of time to that. But more than that, her thoughts were different. She had seen friends and acquaintances die, and be horribly injured both physically and mentally. Such things tended to mature a person very rapidly. But despite that, she was much happier. She had learned a lot about herself, and was getting along without the guidance of her head more and more lately.

And then, of course, there was him…

* * *

Lily walked into the inn room James had told her about, and gasped, then grinned. It had red walls and furnishings with purple accents, and it smelled lightly of vanilla. She started to turn, knowing what was coming next, but she wasn't quick enough. James caught her around the waist and pulled her close, her back to his chest. He buried his face in her hair, kissing her neck and ear hotly and reveling in the feel of her silky hair on his face.

"Do you like it?" he whispered in her ear.

"It's- oh lord- it's even better than the last time."

"Mm… Good," he replied, his voice muffled by her throat.

She turned her head to kiss him, but he moved away.

"Oh, no, if you do that this will be over before it's even started." He let go of her, and she turned to face him. "We are going to do this right. I told you, I want a chance to reminisce about our first date, and that is most certainly not how it happened."

She pouted. "Well, get on with it then. I won't wait forever."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, then ran the other through her hair to rest on the back of her head. Then, slowly, oh so painfully slowly, he kissed her, softly at first, then harder and harder. She sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his back. Then, following the original event, he slid his hand down to touch her butt. He rubbed it gently, then ran his hand up the side of her thigh and back to her butt again. She moaned and wove her hands into his hair, pulling him closer. He smiled, and then, without warning but with great effort, stopped kissing her, removed his hands from her person, and stepped away.

"I believe that was where it ended," he said, giving her a smile. Her lips were red and swollen, and she was panting.

"What! That's it? Are you kidding?"

"Well, that is all that happened. You didn't honestly think we were going to have sex again? Aren't you tired of that yet?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Are you?"

"Well, no. But I'm a man. I'm not supposed to get tired of it. You are."

"Well, maybe," she smiled. She would have him yet. "But I guess you're just that good, huh?"

He smirked smugly, and Lily chuckled. _Some people never change_, she thought.

"And," she continued, stroking his ego, "Since you're just that good, I don't think I could ever get tired of you. But maybe," she paused. "Maybe you're just being passive aggressive. Maybe you're actually tired of it, and you don't want to admit it. Well, that's okay. We don't have to do it so much. We can just do it once a week from now on, that will be fine with me." She turned and started for the door.

James looked stricken. His seduction game had, once again, been turned against him. How was it she always managed to do that? _Oh, no, you don't,_ he thought. He grabbed her roughly near the door and pushed her up against the wall.

"Now," he said, while kissing her all over her face and neck. "Are you sure you could stand that?" He sucked on her throat. "Me being so good, and all." As this was exactly what Lily had wanted in the first place, she made no protest, only tilted back her head to allow James free range of her neck.

From this position, they quickly sunk into a nearby armchair, James sitting and Lily straddling him tightly. After several minutes, they broke apart so that James could lift off Lily's shirt. As he did this, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear again.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention: happy anniversary, Mrs. Potter."

* * *

That's it! It's over and done!!!! No more! This is actually the first multi-chapter fic I've ever finished, yay!!! As always, reviews are appreciated.


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